Head-rest for beds.



N0..873,095. PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907;

J. G; RYAN.

HEAD REST FOR BEDS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.1,1907

VV'ITNEBEEE WMT RS co., wasumamu, o. c.

JOHN G. RYAN, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

HEAD-REST FOR BEDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 12. 1907. Serial No. 367,838.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. RYAN, of the city of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Head- Rests for Beds, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to head rests for beds and its object is to provide an inexpensive and easily operated device that will be particularly adaptable for hospital use.

A further object is to provide a head rest that can be readily adjusted by nurses or other attendants but which will, when desired, remain out of the control of the patients or occupants of the bed.

To accomplish these objects, I provide a pair of toothed quadrants pivoted within casings fixed to the side rails of a'bed. Fixed to the uadrants are tubes, which form the side rails of the head rest, said rails being united by a plurality of transverse rods. A pair of gears engage and operate the quadrants which may be locked at various angles by means of a pair of pawls.

In the drawings which illustrate my invention:Figure 1 is a perspective view of the head portion of a bed with my device attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the quadrants and other moving parts in their relative positions.

In the above defined figures, 1 designates the side rails of a bed and 2 the head rail. The housings 3 are bolted or clamped to the side rails 1 a short distance from the head rail 2, and each contains within itself a quadrant 4 pivoted at 5 and provided with a curved slot 6, having gear teeth 7 cut in the convex side thereof. The curved edges of the quadrant are provided with a plurality of evenly spaced notches 8, adaptedto cooperate with pawls 9 to lock the quadrants from movement in one direction only. A lug 10 is formed integral with one corner of each quadrant, to which the tubular side frames 11 of the head rest are secured by means of turn buckles 12. The opposite corner of each quadrant terminates in an arm 13, turned inwardly and then downwardly, and pro. vided at its extremity with an opening 14 through which one extremity of a helical spring 15 is secured, the other extremity being fixed to the head rail 2 of the bed. The quadrants 4 are operated by means of a pair of gears 16 mounted on a common shaft 17, which extends across the bed beneath the frame and terminates at one or both ends in a squared portion 18, adapted to receive anoperating key. The gears 16 mesh with the teeth 7 of the quadrants, the weight on the head rest being counterbalanced both in rais- Y mounted on a common shaft 21, s uared at one or both ends 22, and preferab y of the same size at the extremities as the shaft 17. The pawls 9 are held constantly in contact with the quadrants 4 by means of springs 23. 24 is a substantially U-shaped end frame having its extremities slidably mounted within the side frames 11 and adapted to be locked at any desired point by the set screws 25. A plurality of fixedcross bars 26 connecting the side frames 11 complete the head rest.

The operation of the device, as will be readily understood from the foregoing description, consists in raising or lowering the head rest by means of a suitable operating key or crank'applied to the squared portion 18 of the shaft 17. In raising the head rest, the quadrant notches 8 slip past the pawl 9, the weight on the head rest being taken up by the springs 15. In lowering the head rest, the pawls 9 are withdrawn by partially rotating the cam shaft 21, and the device low- I ered with the operating key, any weight on the head rest being compensated for by the springs 15. The side frames 11 are very short and fulorumed near the head of the bed. Consequently when it is desired to have the occupant sit up, the end bar 24 is withdrawn a suitable distance and locked by the set screws 25, in order to secure sufficient length.

In the head rests now in common use, the fulcrum point is so far distant from the head of the bed as to bend the occupants body at the waist when the device is in use. This forms a very undesirable feature, particularly for hospitals where it is frequently desired to raise only the patients head. Furthermore, in the case of children it is necessary to move them toward the foot of the bed as the greater part of their bodies rests, normally, on the head rest.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that I have devised an easily operated and efficient head rest, particularly adaptable for hospital use since it permits the patient s head only to be raised if so desired, but can be instantly adjusted to support the whole trunk. A further advantage is that the operating mechanism can be placed entirely out of the patients control by the simple removal of the operating keys. A still further advantage lies in having the locking and operating mechanism located on both sides'of the bed, which absolutely prevents the head rest from twisting or sagging.

2. A head rest for beds comprising a pair 1 of pivoted slotted quadrants, a pair of tubular side frames fixed to said quadrants, a slidable end frame uniting said sideframes, means operating in said slots to raise said framework, springs acting in conjunction with said raising means, and spring actuated means for locking said quadrants against downward movement.

3. A head rest for beds comprising a pair of pivoted slotted quadrants having spaced notches in the curved edges thereof, a pair of tubular side frames fixed to said quadrants, a sidable end frame uniting the extremities of said side frames, means for locking said end frame, means operating in said slots to raise said framework, springs acting in conjunction with said raising means, spring actuated means engaging the notches in the quadrants to lock same against downward movement, and means for withdrawing said locking means.

4. A head rest for beds comprising a pair of pivoted slotted quadrants having spaced notches in the curved edges thereof, locking pawls engaging said notches, gear teeth on the convex edges of said slots, gears operating in said slots and meshing with said gear teeth, side frames fixed to said quadrants, a slidable head frame uniting said side frames,

and tension springs attached to the quadrants and adapted to raise said framework.

5. A head rest for beds comprising a pair of pivoted slotted quadrants having spaced notches in the curved edges thereof, spring pressed locking pawls engaging said notches, gear teeth on the convex edges of said slots, gears engaging said gear teeth, tubular side frames fixed to said quadrants, integral arms located opposite said side frames, helical tension springs attached to said arms, and a slidable end. frame uniting the side frames.

6. A head rest for beds comprising a pair of pivoted slotted quadrants having spaced notches in the curved edges thereof, spring pressed locking pawls engaging said notches, gear teeth on the convex edges of said slots, gears meshing with said gear teeth, a revoluble shaft carrying said gears, tubular side frames fixed to the quadrants, a pair of downwardly projecting arms, tension arms attached to said arms, cams engaging said pawls, and a slidable end frame adjustably mounted in said side frames.

7. In combination with a bed, a pair of pivoted slotted quadrants having spaced notches in the curved edges thereof, gear teeth formed in convex edges of said. slots, gears meshing with said gear teeth, a revoluble shaft carrying said gears, a pair of pivoted spring pressed pawls engaging the notches in said quadrants, cams operating said pawls, a revoluble shaft carrying said earns, a pair of arms integral with said quadrants, tension springs attached at one extremity to said arms, and at the other extremity to the head rail of the bed, tubular side frames fixed to said quadrants, an end frame slidably mounted in said side frames, means for locking said end frame, cross bars rigidly connecting said side frame, and housings fixed to the side rails of the bed inclosing said quadrants, gears and cams.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. RYAN. 

